Post by Trade Coach on May 14, 2017 17:18:11 GMT 1
Wholly Beneficial Crop: Cassava is a wholly beneficial crop having all its parts supporting life. The leaves, the stem and the roots are in disposable as they all have great advantage to offer man. Even the peels which hitherto had been regarded as wastes, find ready usage in the production of alcohol and carbon dioxide, a vital input in the food and beverage industry.
Food Products: Cassava roots are processed into a variety of food products such as gari, fufu, lafu and tapioca. There is now a new method of producing the above food items from cassava. A versatile investor can establish a mini gari and lafun plant and enjoy the financial benefit. And one can take the advantage of the fact that gari, lafun and fufu are one of Nigerian staple foods.
Cassava Starch: Cassava roots are a good source of starch, which is utilized in food, pharmaceutical and textile industries. Starch is a basic need of all people and virtually all industries. Starch is also used in the production paper and batteries.
The demand in the textile industry alone is not through massive importation. There is therefore, a big market for starch in the textile market.
Cassava Leaves: Cassava leaves are used for human consumption in many parts of West Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone and Guinea. The leaves are chopped or crushed and boiled before eating. Cassava leaves are high in protein and some vitamins.
Livestock Feed: A large amount of cassava is used as livestock feed. The fresh tubers, as well as discarded peelings, can be fed directly to pigs, goats and sheep. Some dried cassava chips are also produced and exported for livestock feed.
Foreign Buyers: Cassava chips/pellets are essential raw material in the animal feed industry hence they enjoy tremendous amount of patronage around the world. The main use of cassava chips/pellets is as fire-inputs into feed mills, feeding of carbohydrates, which makes the animals to be strong.
Cassava and its derivatives were removed from export prohibition lists in 1996. Its export is now encouraged among other food crops for which Nigeria is a major producer.
Alcohol Production: The demand for dry cassava in the international market by factories producing alcohol, it is now so high that anyone who ventures into this business is no doubt, going to make great fortunes.
Detoxified Cassava Starch: The pharmaceutical industry is one that consumes a large quantity of starch. Here starch is used as carrier and binder for active drug ingredients in the production of tablets. Corn starch is preferred for this purpose because unlike cassava starch, it does not contain cyanide.
However cassava is said to be detoxified and is a perfect substitute for corn starch. And this is also being presently employed by local bakeries and the confectionery industry.
Gum and Adhesives from Cassava Starch: Gum or glue and adhesives are an important component in the packaging, printing and binding industries. It has been discovered that it is possible to produce adhesives from cassava starch and this will compete favourably with the imported adhesives.